Introduction
Ever wanted to keep bees, pigs or poultry? To make sausages or bacon? Butcher a pig? Pluck a pheasant? Then look no further. The Empire Farm School was set up in 2006 by Sally and Adrian Morgan, who are passionate about connecting people with their food. The Farm School runs a wide range of different courses throughout the year. The theme running through all our courses is ‘From Field to Plate’ . We have a modern teaching room, which can comfortably accommodate up to 16 people. It includes a demonstration kitchen which, on many of our courses, is used to produce demonstration dishes for you to taste. Outside we have a demonstration smallholding where you can see different styles of housing and pens, allotments and a polytunnel as well as our new ‘Bite-sized Farm’ which is just two-thirds of an acre.Smallholder courses are ideal for people who want to own their own smallholding, keep a few chickens or pigs, or just want a chance to spend a day on a farm learning about livestock and gaining new skills. We don’t just cover the keeping of the animals, but include a session where you can learn about what to do with the meat that you produce. These costs cost between £30 and £75 depending on their length. The tutor for these courses is Sally Morgan.
Our butchery courses which include curing & smoking, three-day butchery, sausage making courses and the Whole Hog are great for smallholders who want to learn how to prepare the meat they have raised, and are also useful for for foodies and chefs who want to extend their skills and get more value out of their meat. These courses start at £120. Empire Farm has two enthusiastic tutors for the butchery courses: Marc-Frederic Berry and Dan Green.
Our preserving courses are taught by local expert Vivien Lloyd, author of ‘First Preserves‘. These courses are ideal for people who have a glut of fruit and vegetables in the garden and want to know how to process it into jams, jellies, chutneys and other preserves. These courses cost £30 for half day and £75 for the full day ones. Our cider making course is run by local expert Alan Berry of Blackmore Vale Cider.
The price of each full day course includes course notes, refreshments, and a lunch made using as much organic produce from the farm as possible, while half day courses include course notes and refreshments. We offer discounts on most courses for the second and subsequent place booked, which is popular with those wishing to bring a partner or friend. We can also offer special rates for larger groups and for individuals wanting to book a series of courses – please telephone us to discuss your requirements in detail.
You can book a place using our online booking system. Course dates can be found on the booking page for each course. We also offer ‘A Day at The Empire Farm’ Gift Vouchers, which make an ideal present. Please read our Terms and Conditions for details regarding cancellation etc.
If you would prefer not to use the online payment system to buy these products, email us to reserve a place and post us a course booking form.
Read some feedback on our courses
Who comes on our courses?
We get a very diverse mix of people on our courses which is great and makes the courses more interesting. We have had young and old, from 11-year olds keen on keeping chickens to octogenarians wanting to cure meat. Some are smallholders or farmers, but many are people who dream of owning their own smallholding. We have husbands who have been bought a gift voucher by their wife. Fishermen and gamekeepers pop up regularly. A number have been in the armed forces and are either on leave or taking courses in preparation for civilian life. We get many foodies on our butchery courses – they have no animals or land but want to learn more about their food and impress their guests. Chefs too have visited us, looking to improve their skills.
But what they all have in common is a love of good food, they care about animal welfare and they want to be more self sufficient in either producing their own food or preparing it.
Bespoke days
Can’t see a course or a date that suits? Don’t worry, we can arrange a bespoke day for groups of up to 12 people. Obviously the price will depend on how many people are attending. We can also run corporate days.
Hen and stag parties
Sausage-making hen and stag parties are very popular with people who want to enjoy a few hours of fun, learning a new skill! We can accommodate groups of up to 25. We supply a couple of tutors to lead a three-hour session during which everybody gets to make some sausages. The session ends with a BBQ with plenty of sausages to try.
Our hen and stag style sessions are ideal for a group who are enjoying a weekend away. There are a number of large holiday homes in the area plus some good hotels. Empire Farm can be reached by train from London, Salisbury, Bristol and Exeter so there is no need to have cars.
Some examples of stag and hen weekends:
One group of stags stayed in Salisbury. They travelled to their hotel on Friday, and came down for a course late Sat morning, took the train back to Salisbury. They enjoyed a night out in Salisbury. Got up late Sunday for a brunch and a bit of sight-seeing before travelling home.
A group of hens rented in a large country house with 5 bedrooms for the weekend. They came to the Farm on Saturday morning for their sausage-making course. They returned to their house where they enjoyed a bit of beauty therapy. A chef arrived to cook their Saturday dinner and then they went out clubbing. A late breakfast followed by a bit of retail therapy at Street and then home.
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| Ever wanted to keep bees, pigs or poultry? To make sausages or bacon? Butcher a pig? Pluck a pheasant? Then look no further. The Empire Farm School was set up in 2006 by Sally and Adrian Morgan, who are passionate about connecting people with their food. The Farm School runs a wide range of different courses throughout the year. The theme running through all our courses is ‘From Field to Plate’ . We have a modern teaching room, which can comfortably accommodate up to 16 people. It includes a demonstration kitchen which, on many of our courses, is used to produce demonstration dishes for you to taste. Outside we have a demonstration smallholding where you can see different styles of housing and pens, allotments and a polytunnel as well as our new ‘Bite-sized Farm’ which is just two-thirds of an acre.Smallholder courses are ideal for people who want to own their own smallholding, keep a few chickens or pigs, or just want a chance to spend a day on a farm learning about livestock and gaining new skills. We don’t just cover the keeping of the animals, but include a session where you can learn about what to do with the meat that you produce. These costs cost between £30 and £75 depending on their length. The tutor for these courses is Sally Morgan.
Our butchery courses which include curing & smoking, three-day butchery, sausage making courses and the Whole Hog are great for smallholders who want to learn how to prepare the meat they have raised, and are also useful for for foodies and chefs who want to extend their skills and get more value out of their meat. These courses start at £120. Empire Farm has two enthusiastic tutors for the butchery courses: Marc-Frederic Berry and Dan Green. Our preserving courses are taught by local expert Vivien Lloyd, author of ‘First Preserves‘. These courses are ideal for people who have a glut of fruit and vegetables in the garden and want to know how to process it into jams, jellies, chutneys and other preserves. These courses cost £30 for half day and £75 for the full day ones. Our cider making course is run by local expert Alan Berry of Blackmore Vale Cider. The price of each full day course includes course notes, refreshments, and a lunch made using as much organic produce from the farm as possible, while half day courses include course notes and refreshments. We offer discounts on most courses for the second and subsequent place booked, which is popular with those wishing to bring a partner or friend. We can also offer special rates for larger groups and for individuals wanting to book a series of courses – please telephone us to discuss your requirements in detail. You can book a place using our online booking system. Course dates can be found on the booking page for each course. We also offer ‘A Day at The Empire Farm’ Gift Vouchers, which make an ideal present. Please read our Terms and Conditions for details regarding cancellation etc. If you would prefer not to use the online payment system to buy these products, email us to reserve a place and post us a course booking form. Read some feedback on our courses Who comes on our courses? But what they all have in common is a love of good food, they care about animal welfare and they want to be more self sufficient in either producing their own food or preparing it. Bespoke days Can’t see a course or a date that suits? Don’t worry, we can arrange a bespoke day for groups of up to 12 people. Obviously the price will depend on how many people are attending. We can also run corporate days. Hen and stag parties Sausage-making hen and stag parties are very popular with people who want to enjoy a few hours of fun, learning a new skill! We can accommodate groups of up to 25. We supply a couple of tutors to lead a three-hour session during which everybody gets to make some sausages. The session ends with a BBQ with plenty of sausages to try. Our hen and stag style sessions are ideal for a group who are enjoying a weekend away. There are a number of large holiday homes in the area plus some good hotels. Empire Farm can be reached by train from London, Salisbury, Bristol and Exeter so there is no need to have cars. Some examples of stag and hen weekends: One group of stags stayed in Salisbury. They travelled to their hotel on Friday, and came down for a course late Sat morning, took the train back to Salisbury. They enjoyed a night out in Salisbury. Got up late Sunday for a brunch and a bit of sight-seeing before travelling home. A group of hens rented in a large country house with 5 bedrooms for the weekend. They came to the Farm on Saturday morning for their sausage-making course. They returned to their house where they enjoyed a bit of beauty therapy. A chef arrived to cook their Saturday dinner and then they went out clubbing. A late breakfast followed by a bit of retail therapy at Street and then home. |